>I have a large quantity of important CNC programs that are kept (right now) in individual ascii files. I am working on a
>"process sheet" style program with vfp5 where I am planning to transfer the ascii files into a memo field. I have
>heard it mentioned here that memo fields aren't particularly a safe bet for database (dbf) integrity. In other words,
>I could end up with a corrupted table. I cannot afford this. What do people here think about memo fields? Safe
>or not?

Gee, I don't know about them there memo fields...let me ask a question for you to ponder. Do you think that VFP would use them for managing things like forms (SCX/SCT), class libraries (VCX/VCT), projects (PJX/PJT), reports (FRX/FRT), database containers (DBC/DCT) (and the list continues from here) if they were notoriously unstable and subject to mutant behaviors?

I'll admit that when they break, it's ugly, but no more so than other file systems that contain variable-length thingies. You want ugly, break an Access .MDB some time!